“We pump well water to our water treatment plants,” said Philip Van Atta, the water and supply treatment manager. “The well water does not have detectable levels of lead, and the treated water leaving the water treatment plants does not have detectable levels of lead.”
The water is tested every two hours in the pumping stations, then chemists in the lab build upon that with more in-depth checks for hardness and alkalinity.
Dayton has been testing for lead in the water, even before the Environmental Protection Agency began requiring it in the 1990s.
“Even though it’s not a problem for us, we’ll continue to be concerned about it and monitor for it,” Van Atta said. “We’ve been monitoring it before there were lead and copper drinking water regulations.”
The biggest concern in Dayton and Montgomery County is the older plumbing fixtures in individual homes that could become sources of lead.
“Normally, people can just let their tap run for 15 to 30 seconds to eliminate that because it’s usually the faucet itself,” Van Atta said.
High levels of lead have been detected in Flint’s water since officials switched from the Detroit municipal system and began drawing from the Flint River as a cost-saving measure in April 2014.
Some children’s blood has tested positive for lead, a potent neurotoxin linked to learning disabilities, lower IQ and behavioral problems.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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